1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to microwave ovens, and more particularly, to a tray assembly in the microwave oven, which moves a container containing food within a cooking chamber for uniform irradiation of a microwave to the food.
2. Background of the Related Art
The microwave oven defrosts or heats food by using heat from friction of molecules of food caused by vibration of the molecules coming from direction of the microwave thereto. FIG. 1 illustrates a typical microwave oven, referring to which the microwave oven will be described, in more detail.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is a cooking chamber 20 provided in a case 10 that forms an outer shape of the microwave oven, and the case 10 has a door 15 on front of the case 10 for opening/closing the cooking chamber 20. The case 10 has an outfit chamber (not shown) therein, provided with electric components, such as a magnetron (not shown) for directing the microwave to the cooking chamber 20, and a high voltage transformer (not shown) for applying a high voltage to the magnetron. Of course, the outfit chamber may also be provided with a fan (not shown) and the like for circulating air in the cooking chamber 20 or cooling the electric components therein.
In the meantime, there is a circular tray 25 on a floor of the cooking chamber 20, rotated by a motor (not shown) under the floor of the cooking chamber 20. Therefore, if a user places the container containing food on the tray 25 and puts the microwave oven into operation, the tray 25 rotates. According to this, the microwave from the magnetron is irradiated uniformly to the food, and heats the food uniformly.
However, the microwave oven with the circular tray 25 has difficulty in cooking food in a long container. Because, if the long container containing long food, such as fish, is placed on the tray 25, and the microwave oven is put into operation, the long food or the container hits a rear wall or the door 15 of the cooking chamber 20.
Moreover, in a case of a hood and microwave oven which is long in a left and right direction, only a central portion of the cooking chamber can be used as a cooking area, actually. Therefore, an inside space of the microwave oven can not be used, efficiently.